Baba Au Rum Recipe

Sift flour and salt into a large warmed bowl. Cream yeast and sugar in a small bowl, then add warm milk. Make a well in centre of flour and add yeast mixture. Sprinkle a little flour from sides over top, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes for yeast to sponge. Beat eggs into butter and add to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously with your hand until all flour is incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic, add currants and give another few beats. Cover bowl with greased plastic film and a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, 30-40 minutes. Spoon dough into two well greased 23cm savarin moulds or (leap ring tins. Allow to rise in a warm place until dough reaches top of tin. Bake in a hot oven 200C (40QE) &r about 20 minutes or until babas are golden-brown and beginning to shrink a little from sides of mould. To make syrup, boil water, sugar and vanilla bean for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, discard vanilla and stir in rum. Cool babas in tins for five minutes, then pierce all over with a fine skewer. Place tin on a plate and drizzle syrup over a little at a time. Turn out of tin, allow to cool. Serve with creme chantilly (whipped cream). Each baba serves 8-10. Note: Babas may be cooked several weeks before the wedding and frozen. Do not pour syrup over before freezing. Wrap the cooled babas in foil then freeze. To thaw, remove from freezer 12 hours before required. At serving time heat in moderate oven 180C (350F). Pour hot syrup over and allow to cool. Good kitchen shops are now selling proper savarin tins for the cake; buy two.
CREME CHANTILLY: Allow 1 x 300ml carton cream, whipped with a little sugar and vanilla, for each baba.